


green pearls

by mornen



Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen, I'm just interested in fleshing out their relationship, Sea, Short, beach, eventually, exploring some thoughts, moment of time, not doing much else, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:20:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22851619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mornen/pseuds/mornen
Summary: a short piece about Elrohir and Estel taking a moment of rest*‘Tell me something about my father,’ Estel says, like he sometimes asks.‘He had straight hair,’ Elrohir says. He runs his hand through Estel’s hair. ‘Soft brown.’Estel eats a raspberry.‘He was a good dancer, but I think I told you that before.’
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	green pearls

The sea is green and warm. Elrohir sits beside it on the rock and watches the tide rise. Estel is beside him, and Elladan is out in the water, far away. Estel’s hair is longer now, and it curls around his face.

‘He’s looking for pearls,’ Elrohir says as Elladan disappears again under the waves.

‘Has he found any?’ Estel asks. He runs his hands through his hair. It falls to his chest in gentle sweeps.

‘Some.’ Elrohir places his hand on Estel’s back. ‘You have Elf hair.’

‘So do you.’

‘But I always have Elf hair.’

Estel smiles. He tugs on Elrohir’s hair.

‘Going swimming?’ Elrohir asks.

‘Maybe.’

Elrohir leans forward and hugs his legs. He’s already been in the water, and now he’s covered with the sand he lay in after. It glitters and gleams on his skin.

Estel goes back to the fire he’s made on the sand. Elrohir watches him build it. The sun is warm. His hair burns with it. He slips off the rock, back into the water and wets his hair again. He comes out and kneels on the sand beside Estel.

‘Should pierce your ears,’ he says. ‘And I’ll make you pearl earrings.’

‘No,’ Estel says. ‘You wear the earrings.’

Elrohir stretches. He looks back out at the sea. Elladan is visible again. Elrohir shades his eyes. The sky is vivid and cloudless.

Estel looks up. His hair brushes softly in waves over his face, blown by the warm breeze. He brushes it off with the back of his hand. Elrohir leans in and kisses his cheek.

‘Love you.’

‘I know,’ Estel mumbles.

Elrohir rolls his eyes. ‘You’re such a Man sometimes.’

‘And you’re such an Elf.’

Elrohir jumps up. He isn’t, either. He jumps in the wet sand so that he sinks into it, leaving deep footprints.

‘I like it here.’

Estel hums in agreement. He boils water over the fire. Elrohir watches their horses. They’re off down the beach, exploring. Elrohir sits near Estel again.

‘Tell me something about my father,’ Estel says, like he sometimes asks.

‘He had straight hair,’ Elrohir says. He runs his hand through Estel’s hair. ‘Soft brown.’

Estel eats a raspberry.

‘He was a good dancer, but I think I told you that before.’

‘You told me both before,’ Estel says. He puts salt in the water.

Elrohir traces spirals into the white sand.

‘I think I’ve told you everything, at some time or another.’

‘You may well have.’

Elrohir rests his hand on Estel’s arm. He sits tight against him and drips water from his wet hair down his back and over his chest and shoulder.

‘Irritating,’ Estel says, gentle.

Elrohir smiles and presses his face to his warm skin.

He’s been friends with so many of Estel’s ancestors, and he’s fought beside them, and he’s buried them. It’s a stab in his heart if he thinks about it. He doesn’t want to think about it. It’s too beautiful now.

Ages ago, when he was very young, in Rivendell, he’d wondered why everyone else was sad, even when they were happy. Now he knows. He has known forever now.

Estel knows too.

Estel cooks clams. He drags his knuckles through the sand.

‘I know you better,’ Elrohir says. ‘Than I knew him.’

Estel nods.

Elrohir’s said this too before, he knows. He slides on his shirt because he burns too easily and slinks into the shade.

‘Such a good cook,’ Elrohir says when Estel passes him a leaf with pancakes. They are small and curling at the edges, spotted with brown. 

‘Elladan always burns everything. I always have to cook when I’m alone with him.’

‘Tragic.’ Estel smiles.

Elrohir eats a pancake. Elladan is swimming back to the shore.

‘I think he heard you,’ Estel says.

‘He knows he’s a terrible cook. He knows.’

Elladan comes out of the water and joins them. He gives them oysters. He’s found five pearls. He lays them on a leaf. He rolls them between his fingers.

‘Will you come home with us, Estel?’ Elladan asks.

‘No,’ Estel says.

Elladan nods. He eats an oyster.

It’s warm. The sea is green and rolls soft on the white shore.

**Author's Note:**

> I just have nowhere to go with this but I also liked what I'd written so it's here
> 
> Edit: never mind I Realised


End file.
